Trolling the KKK?
November 13, 2014 10:45 AM   Subscribe

Faced with dropping enrollments, and deserved negative public image, some members of the Klan are experimenting with a novel, if bewildering, strategy - welcoming black, gay, and Jewish members. A Montana KKK chapter is advertising that they will take any xenophobe over 18 in order to better fight the "new world order" - even going as far as to meet with the NAACP and organize a peace summit. As is common in such cases, the Old Guard is displeased. While the Imperial Wizard of the United Klans has okayed meetings with the NAACP before, this seems to be a bridge too far. However, Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League suggests that only one man, John Abarr, is involved with the chapter.
posted by corb (44 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
You know you're the bottom of the barrel-o-humans when xenophobia is something you're proud of.
posted by maxwelton at 10:52 AM on November 13, 2014


Though he's long been involved in white supremacy organizations growing up in Wyoming and Montana, Abarr claims his opinions have slowly evolved. Last year he met with members of the NAACP in Casper, Wyo. It has inspired him to organize a peace summit with the NAACP and other religious groups in the summer of 2015.

"I thought it was a really good organization," Abarr told the NAACP. "I don't feel we need to be separate."


In other news, President Obama and your uncle that everyone smiles politely at and backs away from at family gatherings released a joint statement today revealing that they will work together to get to the bottom of this chemtrail scourge once and for all.
posted by mreleganza at 10:53 AM on November 13, 2014 [5 favorites]


At this point, we don't care what you look like, as long as you really, really hate something.
posted by quin at 10:53 AM on November 13, 2014 [31 favorites]


John Safran tried to join the Klan back in 2004, in an episode of John Safran vs. God.
posted by zamboni at 11:00 AM on November 13, 2014 [3 favorites]


All I can think about whenever this comes up is Gary the Klansman from Reno 911. Gary and his accident prone sidekick Lyle had had a fundamental change of heart and had become sort of touchy-feely, oversharing, kum-ba-yah types who were itching to spread their new message of love and peace among all people ... but just couldn't overcome their fascination with white robes and burning crosses.

Not surprisingly, people tended to react badly when they showed up in their white robes, burning big wooden "T"s for Tolerance, going on about universal brotherhood, and usually trying to hug a very freaked out Jonesy.
posted by Naberius at 11:08 AM on November 13, 2014 [5 favorites]


Paging Dave Chappelle to the thread, paging Dave Chappelle to the thread....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:08 AM on November 13, 2014 [4 favorites]


Not surprisingly, people tended to react badly when they showed up in their white robes, burning big wooden "T"s for Tolerance, going on about universal brotherhood

Yes, I have the same reaction to Polyphonic Spree.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:12 AM on November 13, 2014 [32 favorites]


Cleavon Little to the white courtesy phone, please.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 11:13 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


This reminds me of an old joke Arsenio Hall made: "they offered Bruce Springsteen $5 million to do a commercial for Chrysler and he turned them down! Man, for $5 million, I'd do a commercial for the Ku klux klan!"
posted by jonmc at 11:13 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


fear of a "new World Order" is so old by now shouldn't it be "Stop the rise of the currently existing system that has persisted for decades"?
posted by The Whelk at 11:19 AM on November 13, 2014 [9 favorites]


If you haven't noticed it, it's new to you!
posted by octobersurprise at 11:24 AM on November 13, 2014 [4 favorites]


At this point, we don't care what you look like, as long as you really, really hate something.

They should conduct a membership drive on the internet.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:24 AM on November 13, 2014 [13 favorites]


When I posted this to my FB last night, I had to post the classic Mr. Show Sketch: New KKK... Seriously this shit writes itself. Also: Why did none of you link this???
posted by symbioid at 11:32 AM on November 13, 2014 [8 favorites]


Two words: tie-dye robes.
posted by acb at 11:37 AM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


The New KKK started in 1976.

Also, LOL at the Republican saying "[Racism] is not what we are about, and we have never been about that."

Never? Really?
posted by klangklangston at 11:41 AM on November 13, 2014


They're also scared of this year's New Order reunion tour.
posted by GuyZero at 11:42 AM on November 13, 2014 [3 favorites]




The New KKK started in 1976.

Also, LOL at the Republican saying "[Racism] is not what we are about, and we have never been about that."
... because at it's core, even back in the halcyon days of whist, poker and a bit of rummy, the Klan has always been about campaigning for ethics in game journalism.
posted by bl1nk at 12:12 PM on November 13, 2014 [34 favorites]


A lot of the KKK is about racial separatism (or racial purity if you like). Racial supremacy and mindless hatred are only part of the picture.

A multiracial group working to separate the races doesn't seem so far-fetched. Sat well with Tojo.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 12:19 PM on November 13, 2014 [3 favorites]


... because at it's core, even back in the halcyon days of whist, poker and a bit of rummy, the Klan has always been about campaigning for ethics in game journalism.

Good one. :-)
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 12:19 PM on November 13, 2014


I really want a line on my resume for "Diversity Representative for the Ku Klux Klan"
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 12:25 PM on November 13, 2014 [7 favorites]


I'll just tell them I won't join any club that would have me as a member.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:46 PM on November 13, 2014 [4 favorites]


Like I said in the last thread about this: Taking ironic racism to an extreme.

I mean seriously. It's the fucking Ku Klux Klan. This is an organization with no redeeming features. They could, en masse, suddenly renounce racism and spend until the heat death of the universe doing nothing but e.g. changing government policy and funding schools for people of colour and they'd still be total shitbags.

The best way to not be a white supremacist is not being in the fucking KKK. Christ wept.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:05 PM on November 13, 2014 [2 favorites]


I'll just tell them I won't join any club that would have me as a member.

I certainly wouldn't join any club that would have them as members....
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:27 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'll just tell them I won't join any club that would have me as a member.

If we're doing Groucho lines, the Klan is more in the vein of "I oughtta join a club and beat you over the head with it."
posted by kewb at 2:30 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


If we're doing Groucho lines,

He's probably approve of clubbing them in the member.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:36 PM on November 13, 2014 [5 favorites]


If the KKK merged with the Wu Tang Clan, would they become the Wu Klux Klan?
posted by jonp72 at 2:50 PM on November 13, 2014 [3 favorites]


When I posted this, it was deleted for being possibly a hoax and/or increasing the profile of the klan. Or something : /
posted by batfish at 3:46 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


For the longest time I thought it was the Klu Klux Klan.

Like they were racists with lisps.
posted by srboisvert at 3:51 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


We have old fashioned Klans out here: They wrap meeting announcements around rocks and throw them onto your porch.
posted by acrasis at 4:45 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


When I posted this, it was deleted for being possibly a hoax and/or increasing the profile of the klan. Or something : /

If I recall your post was a single link headline. A little context can go a long way around here.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 5:53 PM on November 13, 2014


For the longest time I thought it was the Klu Klux Klan.


Ha! April 1963. The wife and I are at a demonstration in Birmingham, Al.

I made some derogatory comment about the KLU Klux Klan. We were two of few whites present at the time. A few of the black gals started laughing at us and said, "well, we don't have to worry about you being infiltrators. It's KU klux klan honey"

And so we were trusted.
posted by notreally at 6:33 PM on November 13, 2014 [19 favorites]


If I recall your post was a single link headline. A little context can go a long way around here.

Nope, you evidently don't recall. It linked to two prominent bloggers (who further linked to the first version of the Daily News story in corb's post) and the lengthy International Business Times writeup they were commenting on. In fact, apparently a lot rather than a little context was called for, but at any rate it's an interesting story and I'm glad it got reposted.
posted by batfish at 6:49 PM on November 13, 2014


A couple of years ago the equivalent of the KKK in Australia were planning a White Power concert in Brisbane. A group of radical activisty types got together in a meeting to organise a counter-protest, and I went along.

In the meeting they talked about how the only way to know where the concert was being held was to meet with the organiser in person and get a ticket. Some of the activists talked about how they would be too scared to go meet him because he might shoot them for being anti-racist activists, or something.

I look around the room.
I am the only non-white person here.
I was more willing to go pick up the ticket myself even though I would be a zillion times more at risk of harm than anyone in this radical activist circle.

After the meeting I was asked by a former friend who had been in the meeting to do outreach to Indigenous and CALD groups, because I had talked about how one of the most effective ways to fight racism is to serve organisations and communities that are already doing the work and could use some help. I pointed out that I wasn't comfortable being the Token POC Person doing the research and work for everyone else.

The counterprotest never came to fruition. And I've never seen them engage with POC groups ever since.

That incident was the last straw in many others that made me realise that the racists I really have to worry about aren't the ones in the white hoods; they're the ones who claim to be on my side.
posted by divabat at 7:04 PM on November 13, 2014 [9 favorites]


The story may have been apocryphal, but 30+ years ago I remember reading that a KKK chapter wanted to improve its public image, so it volunteered to clean up litter along a stretch of highway. They had to give it up because didn't anticipate that herds of people would come from miles around to throw trash on that section of highway.
posted by Daddy-O at 7:11 PM on November 13, 2014 [3 favorites]


They should conduct a membership drive on the internet.

Anything online can get gamed. Do we really want 4chan running the KKK?
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:11 PM on November 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


Anything online can get gamed. Do we really want 4chan running the KKK?

oh god please yes
posted by maus at 11:01 PM on November 13, 2014 [7 favorites]


The story may have been apocryphal, but 30+ years ago I remember reading that a KKK chapter wanted to improve its public image, so it volunteered to clean up litter along a stretch of highway. They had to give it up because didn't anticipate that herds of people would come from miles around to throw trash on that section of highway.

This is more or less true - the KKK and neo-nazi groups keep trying to adopt highways and people vandalize the signs.
posted by winna at 7:50 AM on November 14, 2014


If the KKK merged with the Wu Tang Clan, would they become the Wu Klux Klan?

If they allow cosplayers too, could they become the Wu Klux Klingons?
posted by jonp72 at 7:58 AM on November 14, 2014


Missouri KKK Threatens 'Lethal Force' Against Ferguson Protestors
"We will use lethal force as provided under Missouri law to defend ourselves," the flier said. "There will be consequences for your acts of violence against the peaceful, law abiding citizens of Missouri."
posted by tonycpsu at 1:46 PM on November 14, 2014


OH THAT'S JUST GREAT
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:53 PM on November 14, 2014


This is more or less true - the KKK and neo-nazi groups keep trying to adopt highways and people vandalize the signs.

Missouri handled the situation well.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:30 PM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]


I really want a line on my resume for "Diversity Representative for the Ku Klux Klan"

Mine says "Corrective Phrenologist", which might be along the same lines.
posted by sneebler at 4:39 PM on November 14, 2014


Don't worry, Empress, Anonymous is on the job.
posted by corb at 4:16 PM on November 16, 2014


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